The brief

Analyst view

• AR3 logged 10,000+ combat hours in Ukraine; backbone of RAF's StormShroud electronic-warfare system jamming enemy radars.
• Reached unicorn May 2025 (£1B+); Project Corvus contract July 2026 (£400M); Series D $580M at $6.4B Sept 2026.
• Committed £400M to UK manufacturing with new Swindon factory and up to 1,000 high-skilled jobs.

Technical approach

As reported

Platform

16-hour tactical VTOL

25 kg MTOW with 4 kg payload, 3.5 m wingspan, 16-hour fixed-wing endurance; catapult-launched from portable systems.

Sensors

SAR radar and modular payloads

Carries swappable SAR (synthetic aperture radar), electro-optical/infrared, and electronic-warfare payloads; Leonardo BriteStorm jams enemy radars.

Operations

Autonomous beyond line-of-sight

Operates far from command links in GPS-denied or jammed environments; RAF StormShroud role requires EW timing with fighter missions.